Loerinc



B. LOERINC Aug. I0, 195

DISPLAY HOLDER FOR DOLLS AND SI MILAR ARTICLES Filed March 16,1953

" 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EH 5 INVENTOR.

E5:E22:55:35: Kw

Ba/1mg erinc/ I ATTORNEY B. LOERINC Aug. 10, 1954 DISPLAY HOLDER FOR DOLLS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed March 16, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR [baring Bygjw JTTORNEY I Patented Aug. 10, 1954 DISPLAY HOLDER FOR DOLLS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Barney Loerinc, New York, N. Y.

Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,650

4 Claims.

This invention relates to retainers or holders for dolls and similar articles, and particularly adapted for the purpose of holding the doll or other article in a fixed and definitely-located position in a carton or other display or shipping container.

At the present time, certain types of dolls are packed within shallow types of display cartons, usually provided with a transparent front panel through which the doll and the costume worn by it can be plainly seen. Such dolls are usually clad in fancy costumes, including a flaring skirt which is spread or fanned outwardly in the carton to more effectively display it. In order to prevent wrinkling or disarray of the costume of the doll, as well as to prevent damage to the doll itself, it is desirable that the doll shall be fixedly held in a central position in the carton.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide means by which a doll or other suitable article shall be securely mounted within a display or shipping carton and prevented from shifting movement therein so that the doll and its costume will reach the buyer or recipient in an undamaged and unwrinkled condition.

It is another object of the invention to provide a doll-retaining means which can be very inexpensively fabricated; which can be easily installed in the carton, and the doll readily mounted in it with a minimum of time required for the packing operation.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangements of parts to be hereafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a face View of the cardboard strip or sheet from which the retainer is formed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the retainer as it appears when folded to its operative position;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the retainer folded into its operative position;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the retainer;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a box or carton body, showing how the same is slitted to provide a band for holding the doll-retainer in place;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the box body showing the retainer in position, but with the doll omitted to better disclose the construction of the retainer;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a face view of the strip or sheet from which a second embodiment of the invention is produced;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation, with parts in section and other parts broken away, of the retainer of Fig. 8, showing the manner in which the same is held by the box or carton body.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a box body intended for the reception of the retainer of Figs. 8 and 9, and Fig. 11 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line I l-I I of Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, and more particu larly to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, 1 indicates the cardboard sheet or strip forming the doll-retaining device. The sheet or strip 1 has a portion 2 forming the body or back panel of the device, said portion including the shoulders 3 and 4. Above these shoulders in the sheet I, is a transverse score or fold line 5 which is centrally interrupted byan inverted U-shaped slit 8 forming a tab portion i. When the sheet or strip 1! is folded on the line 5 a forwardly-projecting flap 8 is produced, which flap is then provided with an aperture 9 produced by the inverted U-shaped slit 6 Adjacent to its lower end, the body part 2 of the sheet or strip l is provided with a transverse fold or score line H] on which the strip or sheet is folded. Located a short distance from the fold or score line In is a second score line, indicated at l i. The strip of material located between the two score lines and indicated at l2, constitutes a foot support for a doll I3, the body of which extends through and is surrounded by the aperture 9, with the feet M of the doll resting against the strip I2 and also against a forwardly-extended tab it formed out of the body of the strip I by the production of the U-shaped slit Ma. At the lower end of the strip I is a locking tongue 16 which, when the device is in its folded and operative position, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 6 to '7 inclusive, extends upwardly at the front of the device and overlies the front of the body of the doll it and enters into the aperture 9 provided in the top flap 8.

It will be noted that the end portion of the locking tongue it is formed with the diverging edges H which form a dovetail extremity on the tongue i6 and which enters into locking engage ment with the sides of the aperture 9, thus holding the tongue it securely in its erect position as shown in Figs. 2 and 7.

An example of a box intended for the reception of the doll-retainer is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein the box is shown as being in the form of a shallow carton having a bottom wall [8 and the conventional upstanding four side walls IS. The box need not necessarily be of the square shape shown, but can be of any suitable shape according to the type and size of doll to be accommodated within it.

The bottom :8 of the box is formed with a pair of spaced, parallel slits 2B and 2|, defining a retaining band 22 between them.

From the foregoing, the manner in which the device is installed in the box and is used to retain a doll or other article against shifting movement within the box, will be readily understood. While the retainer is in its flat condition, as shown in Fig. 1, it is thrust through the two slits 2|! and 2| in the bottom of the box in such amanner that the band 22 located between the slits will overlie the front face of the body portion 2 of the strip I. The shoulders 3 and *4 on the strip I will limit the extent to which the strip can be inserted through the slit 20. The strip is'folded on the line 3 to bring its flap 8 forwardly, and the doll is then inserted down through the aperture 9. The strip then folded on the line H! to bring the strip 12 and its forwandly extending tab portion 45 to horizontal position, thus bringing theseparts of the strip against the soles of the feet 14 of the doll. The toe portions of the feet-or" the :doll will protrude through the opening 24 produced in the tongue l6 by the production of the slit Ma. The strip 1 is then folded on the line I l and this will bringthe look-- ing tongue I 5 to its upstanding position over the front of the body of the -doll,-:-and the upper end of the locking tongue-is then inserted in the aperture 8 with which it will engage, thus .holding the device in its erected position, and with thedoll securely held by it.

In 'its erected position, the retainer affords protection for the body of the doll by means of the locking flap t6 whichextends over'and covers the lower portion of the body of the doll. The doll is held against upward shifting movement by'the engagement of the front or toe portions of the feet of the doll in the aperture 24., and sidewise or angular shifting of the doll is prevented by the parts of the doll being surrounded by the apertures "i! and .24. .Dolls of theeharacter adapted to beheld by the described device, are often provided with flowing garments of: costumes which are flared out from the body of the doll and more or less fill the interior of the carton. In such case, the garments will completely cover and conceal the retainer, and while the doll be securely held against shifting movement within the box, the means by which the doll is so held will be hidden and concealed .by the garments worn by the doll.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figs; -8 to 11 inclusive, the sheet from which the retainer is produoedi-s indicated at 31.. The

upper portion of this sheet is formed with a tongue 38 corresponding substantially to that shown at 8, which tongue is formed with an aperture 24 similar to that shown at 9. Extending downwardly from the transverse fold .line .35 is a notch 49 serving as a locking element for attaching the sheet 3! to the bottom wall 48 of a box or carton within which the doll is to loe contained. 7

Provided in the sheet 31 is a pair of spaced, upwardly extending parallel slits 4 Land 4! defining a foot-supporting strip 32. At the upper ends of the slits 4.! and 42 is a transverse folder-score line 45. A second transverse fold 01' score line embodiment, is folded on the several score lines 35, 45 and 46. The doll is first placed in the position shownin Fig. 11 and substantially as described in connection with the first embodiment of the invention. When the sheet is folded on the lines 45 and 45, .it will be noted that two legs 53 and '54 are "formed. In fitting the retainer in thecarton, the tab 52 of the carton is caused to engage with the notch 49, which engagement is a iockingone due to the divergent edges 55 and 560i the notch ltilzfrictionally engaging the edges of the tab 52. When the retainer 31 is thus engaged day the tab 52 itwill beso located that the lower endS-ELan-d 5B of the legs 53 and 54 will be abutted against one of the side walls 59 of'the carton. The retainer 3| will thus be confined between :said side walled-and the tab 52 and prevented from shifting in any direction relatively to the carton. The doll'is placed in position in the manner described with reference tol igs. :1 to 7, .namely, by having the body of the dollsurrounded by theaperture 34 and the feet rested against the support 32 and 44, with the feetof the doll protruding through the aperture D-created -.by the formation of the tab 44.

The doll retainer is economicallyproduced from a relative-1y small section of cardboard; it can be completely concealedby the costume of the doll; .it will-prevent shifting of the-doll and avoid damageto the bodyof. the dollas as prevent disarrangement of the clothing on the-doll. No gluing operations are required to (attach the retainer to the carton, and many other advan-- tages,,apparentto those skilled .in this art are attained .in "the device disclosed.

Having described an embodiment of the .invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

.1. .A retainer for dolls and similar articles comprising, a box having a bottom wall provided with spaced slitstoform a band between them, a

,retainer in the form of a cardboard sheet having body portion inserted through the slits and held behind the band, the body portion being provided at the top with a forwardly-extended apertured flap, the --.icod-y portion being provided at its lower end with a forwardly-extended footrest .for a doll, said foot-rest having .its forward end provided with tan upwardly-extended tongue, the tongue passing throughthe aperture in the upper .fiap, the tongue being provided with an openingiadjacent its lower endand-directly above the-root-znesttor the reception of the :feet of a doll disposed behind tongue and having its feet disposed against the (foot-rest.

.A retainer for dolls and similar articles comprising a strip'ozf cardboard provided with a back portion, a top flap extendin forwardly therefrom and provided with an aperture extendingaround thebody of a-dol l, the lower end of the strip having a forwardly-extending .footsupport for the doll, a locking flap extending upwardly from the forward end of said foot support, said locking flap being engaged adjacent to its upper end with the aperture in the top flap, the locking flap being provided with an aperture through which the feet of the doll protrude, a carton and means on the wall of said carton engaging with parts of the strip to thereby attach said strip to the carton.

3. A retaining means for dolls comprising a carton formed with a. tab in its bottom wall, a strip having a notch for engagement with the tab to thereby attach the strip to the bottom of the carton, the carton having a side wall, the strip having a portion confined between the tab and said side wall, said portion having an edge disposed against said side Wall to thereby confine the strip between the tab and said side wall and preventing shifting of the strip relatively to the carton, the strip having a forwardly-bent lower end, said lower end being upturned to form a locking flap, said locking flap being apertured to permit the passage of the feet of a doll through said aperture, the strip being forwardly-bent at .the top, said forwardly-bent portion being provided with an aperture extending around the body of a doll, and means on the locking flap for engagement with the aperture in the forwardlybent portion at the top of the strip to thereby hold the locking flap in position to extend in front of and afiord protection for that portion of the doll which is located between the forwardly-bent upper and lower portions of the strip.

4. A retaining means for dolls comprising a carton, a cardboard retaining strip having a part engaging the bottom of the carton to thereby attach the strip to the carton, the strip having a forwardly-extended flap at the top, said flap having an aperture surrounding the body of a doll, the strip having a forwardly-extending flap at its lower end constituting a foot support for the doll, the forward end of the foot support being upturned to form a locking flap, said locking flap constituting a protective panel extending in front of the portion of the doll located between the upper and lower forwardly-extending flaps, said locking flap having its upper end extending through the aperture in the top flap through which the body of the doll extends, said locking flap having an aperture at its lower end for permitting protrusion of the feet of the doll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,822,007 Cable Sept. 8, 1931 1,922,476 Fairbanks Aug. 15, 1933 1,955,252 Palla Apr. 17, 1934 1,973,641 Locke Sept. 11, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 471,028 Great Britain Aug. 26, 1937 

